Review by Booklist Review
Because Kellerman doesn't reprise history in her latest Rina Lazarus and Peter Decker mystery, readers new to the long-running series may find themselves frustrated by the allusions. But Decker family fans will speed through this solid whodunit, which is not only an entertaining puzzler but also takes the characters' relationships to a new level. Cindy, a rookie cop and Peter's 28-year-old daughter by his first marriage, takes center stage here. Both her rocky history with the department and with her dad come to the fore as she digs into the case of a developmentally disabled teenager who abandoned her baby, insists she was raped, and may have witnessed a murder. Following the strangely coincidental hit-and-run of another disabled teen from the same area, the case blossoms into a mystery that requires help from Peter and from Cindy's new boyfriend, an Ethiopian-born Jew who finds willowy, red-haired Cindy to be the girl of his dreams. The romance and the dialogue are a tad overdone ("you and me both, hot stuff"), but series fans won't be too concerned. StephanieZvirin.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Kellerman's latest Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novel (after 2002's Stone Kiss) will please her fans, but is unlikely to make new converts. When Cindy Decker, Peter's LAPD officer daughter (who had a big role in 2000's Stalker), finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster, she sets out to track down the developmentally disabled mother, suspecting that the child may have been the product of a rape. Her fellow officers discourage her efforts, while an attempt on her life sparks conflict with an alarmed Peter. Romance occupies Cindy, an observant Jew, as much as her professional career. Conveniently, the sexy and caring black pediatric nurse who cares for the baby turns out to be an observant Ethiopian Jew who is instantly smitten with her. Other coincidences abound, including Cindy's witnessing of a fatal hit-and-run that may be connected with the sexual assault she alone believes occurred. A minor subplot concerning the murder of stepmother Rina's grandmother in 1920s Munich simply peters out. Details of Jewish religious observance amount to superficial trappings. Cindy mentions dealing with an earlier trauma through therapy, but the author never lets the reader in on any of her sessions. The solution to the crime comes almost as an afterthought in this overlong book. Others, and Kellerman herself, have done a better job of melding a mystery plot with the challenges of maintaining Jewish identity in the modern world. 3-city author tour. (Aug. 1) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
When 28-year-old LAPD officer Cindy Decker rescues a newborn from an alley dumpster, she embarks on an investigation that will bring both romance and danger into her life. While visiting the baby girl in the hospital, Cindy, an observant Jew, meets and is immediately attracted to Koby, a hard-working pediatric nurse and Ethopian-born Jew. While on their first date, Koby reveals the results of genetic testing on the newborn-she has one black and one white parent and at least one of them is developmentally disabled. Armed with this information, Cindy tracks down the mother, only to learn that she was the victim of a gang rape. Decker/Lazarus series fans will enjoy seeing Cindy again in the spotlight and may want to revisit Stalker, the 2000 novel featuring the novice police officer in a leading role. While the abridged version retains all the vital details of Kellerman's latest police procedural, narrator Nancy McKeon sometimes struggles with the diverse set of characters-although she is excellent as the voice of Cindy. The unabridged program offers a solid performance by Laura Hicks, as well as all the domestic detail fans require; recommended to libraries with series followers. The abridged audio is an optional purchase.-Beth Farrell, Portage Cty. Dist. Lib., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In the 15th of the series featuring LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker and his Orthodox Jewish wife Rina Lazarus, a hot-blooded offspring upstages them. She's a firecracker, all right--Officer Cindy Decker, Peter's Ivy-educated daughter, with her smart mouth, explosive temper, and predisposition to ride roughshod over time-honored police protocols. If she's drawn to a case, she'll find a way to make it hers, heedless of high-echelon noses out of joint and veiled threats to her career. When Cindy finds a baby girl abandoned in a Dumpster, the officer's manual says that it's time to send in the detectives to locate the mother. Though Cindy takes a shot at being prudent, it really doesn't suit her. Drawn to the puzzle of the child's family, she's certain that somewhere out there is an answer waiting for her to discover it. With only two years on her service record and no gold shield in sight, she nevertheless plunges into an investigation that soon turns extraordinarily complex--not just a search for a missing mom, but a white-hot manhunt for rapist-killers. Tempestuous as she is, Cindy's no fool. She knows where to go when she's in over her head: to Peter, who helps her prove that the bottom-feeders are no match for the double Deckers. Incendiary Cindy rules. Fans of Kellerman (Stone Kiss, 2002, etc.) won't complain. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
